No, a pancake is not bread. Pancake is a round, flat cake prepared from a starch-based batter that contains milk, butter, eggs, and flour.
Rather than baking them, pancakes are fried in oil or butter on a hot flat surface like a frying pan or griddle. Some people refer to pancakes as quick bread, flatbread, or batter bread.
These names have stirred up misconceptions that pancake is bread, which it is not. Let’s clear the air around this misconception. Are pancakes truly bread?
Why are pancakes called quick bread?
Pancakes are also known as quick bread because they are made with chemical leavening agents like baking powder rather than natural agents like yeast.
These leavening agents are added to the batter to make the pancakes fluffy. Pancakes are also called quick bread because they do not require so much effort and time.
What ingredients are used in making pancakes?
The general ingredients used in making pancakes include plain or wheat flour, milk, egg, and butter, and may also include a chemical leavening agent.
Additional ingredients used in making pancakes will vary based on your preferred flavor.
Some of the common ingredients include jam, dried or fresh fruits, ground walnuts, chocolate, cream cheese, and buttermilk with your milk or as a replacement for milk.
What is the difference between pancakes and bread?
Pancakes differ from bread in preparation or cooking method and ingredients used in making them. The following differentiates bread from pancakes.
Ingredients
Pancakes make use of starch-based batter and may include eggs, milk, and butter as part of its ingredients while bread uses a thicker dough.
Also, the batter for pancakes is whisked or stirred while the dough used in making bread is mixed and kneaded.
Cooking method
Pancake batter is fried in oil or butter on a griddle or frying pan using butter or oil. On the other hand, bread is baked in an oven.
Leavening agents
Pancakes use chemical leavening agents such as baking powder or baking soda while bread uses natural leavening agents like a sourdough starter or yeast.
Texture
Dough for bread is usually very thick and requires skilled labor for mixing or kneading while pancake batter is watery and easy to stir within a short period.
What foods can you eat with pancakes?
Foods you can enjoy with your delicious pancakes include sausages, fruit salads, scrambled eggs, bacon, and egg muffins among others.
You can also eat your pancakes with beverages and toppings like orange juice, coffee, chocolate chips, strawberry syrup, nuts, whipped cream, peanut butter, blueberry syrup, and caramelized banana slices.
Which pancakes are healthy?
Pancakes mostly made with fruits or whole grains are healthy choices you should try out.
Some of these healthy pancake choices include:
- Blueberry pancakes
- Pumpkin pancakes
- Raspberry lemon Dutch baby
- Banana pancakes
- Lemon cornmeal pancakes
- Vegan banana pancakes
- Almond flour pancakes
- Gluten-free pancakes
- Healthy oatmeal pancakes
FAQs
Are pancakes healthy for diabetics?
No, pancakes are not healthy for diabetics and should be avoided. Pancakes are satisfyingly delicious but are very high in carbs and sugar.
Furthermore, most pancakes contain flour and butter and usually go with maple syrup which can quickly raise blood sugar levels.
Which flour is used to make pancakes?
The most suitable flour for making pancakes is all-purpose flour. You can also use vegan flour like almond flour, rice flour, and corn flour if you are gluten-sensitive.
Can you make pancakes for vegans?
Yes, you can make vegan pancakes by replacing all non-vegan ingredients with vegan alternatives. Replace dairy milk with plant-based milk such as coconut milk, almond milk, rice milk, etc.
Conclusion
It is a common misconception that pancakes are bread because they are classified as quick bread, flatbread and sometimes hotcakes.
However, pancakes share more similarities with cakes because of the ingredients used in making them and the leavening agents used in the process.
While bread makes use of yeast, pancakes make use of chemical leavening agents like baking powder. Also, bread production requires more effort than pancake preparation.
Furthermore, most pancake recipes use milk. However, you can substitute milk with water in some recipes like Bisquick’s ready-to-use pancake mix.
I hope you found this article helpful. Thanks for reading.
